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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22535089">All is well when it ends well</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/canigowithoutausername/pseuds/canigowithoutausername'>canigowithoutausername</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Carlos goes undercover, Comfort/Angst, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Grace being the angel she is, M/M, and TK freaks out</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:16:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,928</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22535089</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/canigowithoutausername/pseuds/canigowithoutausername</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Carlos has been undercover for the past three days and that does things to TK he's not too pumped about; but hey, all is well when it ends well, right?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star)/TK Strand</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>439</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>All is well when it ends well</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So the other day I was like 'what would happen if Carlos goes undercover' and I posted it as a prompt on Tumblr; well, this happened! Me writing a fic for Tarlos!<br/>Hope they're not OOC and you actually enjoy it :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Okay, so the top three most terrifying moments in TK’s life must be Dad being a first responder on 9/11, finding Dad had cancer and swallowing all those pills back in New York, right? Well, two of the three were correct but right fucking now the thing on top of his fucking list was Carlos fucking Reyes and his fucking undercover assignment.</p><p>It was a good week, a nice some might say until all hell broke loose and TK found his heart trying to climb up his throat and leave his body. He knew Carlos was a great cop but apparently his superiors knew it as well and because of it somehow his boyfriend ended up brought in as an undercover cop in a drug bust operation for the past three days.</p><p>It was supposed to be a day’s work, tops. That’s what Carlos told him the night before he left. Kissed the words onto his skin like a promise, to come home soon and safe, but no such luck so far. TK hasn’t heard from him since that night and he was going off the walls with worry.</p><p>He was irritated, jumpy and his skin was buzzing all over. Like the restless feeling that comes with being physically overworked but your mind won’t shut off and leave you be. That was what TK was feeling and the whole station could tell. He was never good with hiding his emotions but currently, he was worse than usual. </p><p>Every single time a car would pass the station or someone would come through the door, TK would look up with so much hope in his eyes that by the moment he realised that it wasn’t Carlos a physical pain would go through his body. He held his breath ever since his boyfriend left his bed and dropped a kiss on his forehead. And now that same breath kept catching in his throat, making it hard to breathe.</p><p>Fuck Austin PD, fuck the DEA, fuck their whole joint task force.  </p><p>Well, not really. TK knew that. On a rational level. The irrational part of his brain however was mad that it was his boyfriend risking his life. </p><p>If it were up to him, Carlos wouldn’t have left his bed, TK would’ve just handcuffed him using his own pair of handcuffs to keep him safe and sound. Unfortunately, it wasn’t up to him and that’s why he was left behind to pick up the pieces. True, he was picking up his own pieces but come on! TK couldn’t remember when was the last time he was so genuinely terrified for another person not being his dad.</p><p>None of his exes was able to evoke such strong feelings before, and what he thought of love was no longer true. Carlos crept into his life without TK realising and became a constant, his lighthouse keeper that he couldn’t live without. Not anymore.</p><p>Before everything, before relapsing, before Alex, before… Just before, TK really didn’t think anything lasted forever. It was fun until it wasn’t. Dad was safe until he wasn’t. What he had with Alex was love until it wasn’t. </p><p>TK entered every relationship having this ‘nothing lasts forever’ at the back of his mind. Thus all the grand gestures, all the declarations of love, all the marriage proposals and talks about building a future together. TK was ticking off all the things he thought a never-ending relationship would have. However, it never felt real, it never felt enough. It was always felt forced, with its end near.</p><p>But <i>this?</i></p><p>
  <i>Now?</i>
</p><p>With <i>Carlos?</i></p><p>Nothing felt <i>more real</i> than this. Nothing felt more near-ending either. However, TK was more than ready to give everything he could to make sure this would be the thing that would last forever. The thing that would never stop, that’s why he needed Carlos back; or at least the knowledge of where Carlos was and what was going on.</p><p>He dropped his head onto the station table, his cheek flush against the cold wood bringing a sensation different than hot dread in the pit of his stomach. Breathe in, breathe out. <i>‘It would be </i>fine, he’ll <i>be fine! He’ll be back in no time and he would laugh at you for freaking out. He would call you Tyler Kennedy and all would be right in the world. Just breathe.’</i></p><p>“It would be fine you know…” a soft voice came behind him. </p><p>TK didn’t have the power to lift his head though. They had a bad call after bad call today and that mixed with his nervous energy left him drained and knackered. The only thing he managed as somewhat of a response was a quiet hum and tensing his shoulders. He was caught. <i>Again.</i></p><p>The whole team tried to calm him down, Michelle included. Giving him soft words of comfort and promises that Carlos would be alright, he knew what he was doing, he would have a back up, it wasn’t like he was running towards burning buildings. </p><p>Yeah, no shit, Sherlock, it definitely wasn’t.</p><p>It was worse. It was running towards bad people with even worse guns that would inflict the worst type of damage; but who was he to judge, right?</p><p>He exhaled once, slowly, and turned his head around. His other cheek making contact with the wooden surface. Their shift was almost over so it wasn’t like he was interrupting a meal or something. Plus no one was around, everyone too busy washing the bad day away.</p><p>“Hey Grace, you here for Judd?” he somehow managed a tired smile, that never stood a chance of reaching his eyes.</p><p>“No,” she shook her head and TK looked at her puzzled. “Judd called. Said you were doing 180s for the past three days. Going from sad, to angry, to restless to concerned, to hurt, to sad all over again” Grace stated simply, dropping her bag in the unoccupied chair before sitting down next to TK.</p><p>TK wanted to say it made sense, wanted to say thank you, wanted to say so many things but he only managed to look at her with such clouded eyes that Grace just smiled sadly and reached towards him.</p><p>“Oh honey, I know,” she started petting his hair, trying to brush away the stress she knew for certain he was feeling. “It would be alright, I promise. He will be alright.”</p><p>“How can you be so sure?” TK asked quietly, barely holding his tears at bay. For the past three days, he didn’t allow himself to cry. He told himself he needed to be as strong as possible but that was coming to an end now.</p><p>“I was once somewhere close to where you are right now. I was the 911 dispatcher on the phone with Judd, you know? And I was freaking out as much as you are. But everything sorted itself out. I got him back and I’m sure you’ll get Carlos too, sweetheart. I don’t doubt that man would do everything to come back to you!” Grace smiled at him and dropped a tender kiss to his temple. Her fingers still brushing through his hair. He was still jittering but she could feel him starting to ooze some of the tension away.</p><p>Apparently, all he needed was for someone to have been in his shoes for a moment and known the final outcome. She was that person, she was <i>his</i> person right now. Thank God for her smart man and his heart of gold.</p><p> -</p><p>The last thing he wanted was to go home to his empty house but it was definitely the better option than going to the Honky Tonk with the team. He was able to have a 20-minute power nap, all while Grace stood to watch over him. She even tried to convince him to go over their place and have a quiet dinner but he decided against it. She did more than enough for him so she deserved her night out with her husband.</p><p>TK toed his shoes by the door, dropped his jacket and duffle bag on the sofa without even turning the lights on. He walked in the dark, muscle memory doing its job and leading him to his room before opening his door and!</p><p>And what he saw could’ve easily killed him on sight if he wasn’t so fucking relieved. Carlos fucking Reyes was in his bed, bone-tired and asleep. Thank God!</p><p>He could stand here and watch him all night but he also needed to make sure Carlos was actually there; and this wasn’t his mind playing sick jokes on him.</p><p>“The assignment’s over” Carlos whispered as soon as he felt the bed dip and TK couldn’t do anything else but smile at his gorgeous, caring boyfriend. His eyes were still closed, his voice hoarse and so sleepy but his instincts intact and running. </p><p>TK doubted he ever saw him as knackered before. He also doubted if he himself ever was as tired as Carlos was, that he would detect anyone’s presence besides sleep’s itself. </p><p>“I’ve missed you.” his voice was trembling but he felt content because judging by Carlos’ clothes he didn’t even stop by his place first. He still wore street clothes, but they weren’t his. That much TK could deduce and something inside his belly warmed up because Carlos came straight to him, to his bed after all was through and through.</p><p>“Missed you too.” Carlos whispered in the dark, feeling TK’s fingers brushing his forehead. “Came directly from the crime scene” he confirmed and instinctively wrapped his fingers around TK’s wrist dragging him down to bed. </p><p>“So please just come snuggle. I deserve it.” </p><p>“Yeah, you do!” TK told him breathlessly lying down next to him. His eyes working on overdrive trying to see if anything was awry. No bruises, no cuts, no bullet holes. Carlos looked the same minus the bags under his eyes were deeper than usual.</p><p>“You look fine.”</p><p>“What happened? I used to look hot?” Carlos went for fake offended and TK only huffed in response.</p><p>“You know what I mean…”</p><p>“I’m fine, Tyler Kennedy,” he finally opened his eyes and looked at his boyfriend. TK was still a little bit suspicious, his heart still beating a little too fast but without seeing any visible injuries he just wanted to check for any that might have been hidden.</p><p>”No cuts, no bruises. No one shot at me. It was fine, I was fine, <i>I am fine!</i>” Carlos vowed before dropping a kiss to his lips. “Can we go to bed now?”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, we can,” TK kissed him again, slow and sweet. Exploring his mouth as it was the first kiss they ever had. Enjoying the moment as much as he could. One last peck and he was whispering again. “Roll over.”</p><p>“Why?” </p><p>“Just roll over, Carlos. You are the little spoon tonight, it makes one feel safe; and I need to feel you’re safe”</p><p>Without more protesting Carlos turned around and let his boyfriend pull him flush to his chest. </p><p>“I love you, you know?”</p><p>“I know, I love you too! Now go to sleep, you look fucking tired!”</p><p>Carlos laughed, loud and breathy, intertwining his fingers with his boyfriend's and dropping a kiss on the back of his hand. </p><p>“I’m glad I’m back home, Tiger,” he murmured sleepily and the only thing TK could do was smile like the sap he was and vow he was going to marry the shit out of this man and give him the home he always wanted.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading guys! Any and all kudos, comments and suggestions are more than welcome :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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